My only wish is for them to remove New Zealand's butt-ugly 80's architecture. Apart from that, it is a nice little town.

Definitely agree! If I had my way I would bulldoze half the city centre and start over (maybe thats a bit extreme).

Last year the PCC was consulting on the City Centre Revitalisation Plan which could result in major changes to the city centre, including a new main street, new buildings and waterfront development. Unfortunately I don't think it includes demolishing the aforementioned buildings ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by metroman

I thought this was one of the fastest growing areas in New Zealand and that there was significant development earmarked for this area.

Not too sure of the growth rate, but there's quite a few subdivisions going in, particularly out Whitby way. More important perhaps is the Aotea block (that will include residential and commerical development) as it is much closer to Central Porirua than the typical suburban sprawl.

Definitely agree! If I had my way I would bulldoze half the city centre and start over (maybe thats a bit extreme).

Last year the PCC was consulting on the City Centre Revitalisation Plan which could result in major changes to the city centre, including a new main street, new buildings and waterfront development. Unfortunately I don't think it includes demolishing the aforementioned buildings ...

Had a good read of that. It will add some fun that it hasn't had in years gone by.

The real PoriruaOnce maligned as one of the Wellington region's harsher places to live, Porirua has shrugged off the reputation in a survey of residents who say they like where they live
DAVE BURGESS - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 16 February 2008

Porirua is tagged as a city plagued by gang-related deaths and other violent crimes - but the reality is quite different for the Fourie family from South Africa.

Elsie and Johan Fourie, and 16-year-old son Udo, emigrated to New Zealand, via an eight-year stop in the United States, in late 2006.

"We didn't know anything about Porirua at all but we just loved the scenery. That was the main attraction," Mrs Fourie says.

The family moved into a house in Camborne above the Pauatahanui Inlet - yes, Porirua City encompasses just such suburbs. There, the Fouries say their dreams of leading a happy, safe life have been met, despite the tales of nasty Porirua street crimes.

"It is not really anything that we have had bad experiences with ... There is not really much crime," Mrs Fourie says.

The Social Development Ministry's latest Quality of Life survey has found Porirua had the third-lowest rate of criminal offences of the 12 cities that took part. Porirua ranked third equal for residents feeling fairly or very safe at home after dark.

Yet Porirua continues to experience some serious crime, such as the fatal stabbing of Fitzgerald Risati at a Porirua taxi stand in December. Last month the battered body of Bronwyn Whakaneke, a mother of two, was found at the Mongrel Mob's Porirua headquarters. A patched gang member has been charged with her murder.

Mayor Jenny Brash says that sort of event fuels a myth about the city. "People have to realise Porirua is not just Porirua East, where there is sometimes trouble. It is not just a state housing area. It is a huge area with two suburbs that are predominantly state housing, Cannons Creek and Waitangirua, out of 14 suburbs."

The real Porirua would surprise many, she says. "We have five boating clubs and a marina, and a very active waka ama group. Porirua means Flightys Rd [a popular lifestyle area], rural residential properties, million-dollar sections, and lifestyle properties."

The improvements in Porirua's social fabric are driven by outstanding growth and employment figures. Its average 2006 gdp growth of 11.9 per cent and employment growth of 11.1 per cent led to top ranking in the Quality of Life survey.

Council chief executive Roger Blakeley says the most rapidly growing industries are the financial sector, communications including call centres, and cafes and accommodation.

"About 60 per cent of our growth is in old-economy areas, and 40 per cent in new-economy, hi-tech areas.

"One of the objectives from an economic point of view is to try to swap those figures around, to attract more businesses to our city which are in the new-economy areas such as information and technology and biotechnology."

A vital part of future growth in Porirua is the council's City Centre Revitalisation programme, which is out for public comment.

"What we are looking for is for people to be attracted to the city centre, for it to be an exciting, vibrant place for apartment living, for more offices to be created, and to create exciting public spaces."

The area was once heavily dependent on low-skill, low-wage manufacturing industries such as Todd Motors, which were rendered obsolete by economic restructuring and tariff reform.

Mr Blakeley says a big factor in the city's revival is the North City Shopping Centre and Mega Centre. "Seven million people a year visit the North City shopping centre.

"That means there are a whole lot of people coming into Porirua who previously whizzed by on the motorway. They now all see the wonderful attractions, which is changing perceptions of the city."

Business Porirua chief executive Mark Copsey works closely with the council and says its business development plan is successful, particularly in helping small businesses to grow.

"There are a lot of highly qualified individuals in the city, particularly if you look at the areas around Plimmerton and Mana. That northern part of the city has the highest household incomes across the region ... and the fourth highest in New Zealand," he says.

But Porirua's cbd is one of the few in New Zealand where no one lives. Mr Copsey wants to get the private sector to build houses, apartments and offices in the area.

"If we can start to encourage that sort of development, which will increase the population, we will get bars that work after seven o'clock at night, we will get cafes and other amenities which aren't attracted in at the moment."

I think development done well could work on the hospital site - but no mindless sprawl please. Hopefully a quality development that fits with the planned city centre redevelopment (site is reasonably close to the centre).

Capital and Coast District Health Board has taken a step forward in long-running plans to sell its surplus land in Porirua.

The board has applied to Porirua City Council to subdivide about half the land it owns on the Porirua hospital grounds.

Capital and Coast's interim chief executive Derek Milne said the board planned to sell about 45 hectares of the 92.8-hectare site. Most of the surplus land is in a 38-hectare block between the mental health unit and the main Kenepuru Hospital campus.

Dr Milne said Capital and Coast could not estimate how much the land was worth. "Property development is not our core business. Its value will likely be determined by the amount developers, or any other prospective buyers, would be prepared to offer."

Capital and Coast recorded an operating deficit of $12.9 million in the 2006-2007 year, compared with a budgeted surplus of $13 million. Its annual report said a "major part" of the variance was due to "non-completion of a land disposal".

But Dr Milne said that even if the land was sold at maximum value, it would be a "very small proportion" of the board's annual budget.

Nearly 50 buildings are on the surplus land, occupied by a range of tenants. "There's quite a miscellaneous selection of buildings which represent decades of building and development. A lot of them are old wooden buildings," he said. Some of them are abandoned.

The board has been trying to dispose of the land for several years. It was declared surplus in November 2003 and Capital and Coast applied to then-health minister Annette King to approve the sale proposal.

Ms King asked the board to carry out certain work on the site first, including moving some buildings, Dr Milne said. The hospital chapel was moved in February last year and the board reapplied to Health Minister Pete Hodgson soon after.

Mr Hodgson approved the proposal, followed by State-Owned Enterprises Minister Trevor Mallard and Land Information Minister David Parker.

A Porirua City Council spokeswoman said the council received Capital and Coast's subdivision resource consent application in October, but processing was put on hold while more information was sought.